March Sadness

“In like a lion, out like a lamb” is the go-to line when describing the vibe March gives off, but doesn’t relate to the madness that consumes it. The famous NCAA basketball tournament starts out wild, with crazy bracket knockoffs of superstar teams and ends with iconic finishes, buzzer-beaters, you name it. “March Madness” is the iconic college basketball tournament that has teenagers from all walks of life choosing either Duke, Kentucky, or Kansas for their dozens of brackets (all of which ironically lost in the closing stages) and a handful of middle-aged dads who still believe their alma-mater can win it all (No Peter, Notre Dame isn’t better than Gonzaga, get over it). Looking back on March 2017, we’ve seen our share of game-winners, Cinderella-like advances, and dynamic emotions. Although this is great to experience and what the tournament is all about, we never really grasp the reality of the other side. “March Sadness” is the aftermath all losing teams undergo. It’s a horrible situation to be in, if you go home too late in the tournament, the couch may not have a spot left for you, or if the other sports at your school are having successful seasons in other fields (literally), you may get bullied for your failures. It’s best not to get caught up in the whole idea of becoming dreary, there are some teams that don’t even have a shot at winning the championship. Since March Madness isn’t enough for our strong demand in college athletics we put the losers in a whole competition by themselves. These are the strong pushes we need to make in the future instead of worrying about frivolous things like the future of our government or some nation on the other side of the globe.